1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for washing out foreign matter, such as oil, dust or odds and ends, on a continuous woven or knit tape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, in the manufacture of touch-and-close or so-called surface-type fasteners, a substantially endless-length fabric web or tape having a multiplicity of hook-shaped or loop-shaped (male or female) elements projecting from one surface is dyed at the finishing stage of production. A primary problem with the surface-type fastener production is that various foreign matter tends to be easily caught by the fastener elements during production, which necessitates washing and heat-setting of the tape to make it uniform in structure before dyeing. To this end, it is customary to wash the tape by drawing it through a series of hot-water baths one after another. However, this multi-bath washing is incomplete to remove foreign matter from the tape. Foreign matter on the tape can be removed by moving the tape in swinging motion during the washing; but this swinging would cause the tape to be twisted or entangled and hence to be fed in a disorderly fashion.